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Hello everyone, 

Today, Sunday 5th October we have 1366 people from all over the world and from many Christian and some non-Christian denominations joining together in prayer. The reflection at the bottom this week is from Bob and Debbie Gass from The Word for Today and is called:

"You're no accident!" 

The next link is from the Catholic Information Network and gives a really great examination of conscience, the roadmap to sainthood. Some of you will shout 'too catholic' or 'old fashioned' and perhaps a few years ago I'd have done the same. But look around and see the chaos the world has fallen into and perhaps recognise that there is indeed wisdom in the traditional ways: 

I'm off on pilgrimage this weekend so no reflection next Sunday and if I'm pooped when I get back late on the Saturday night I might have to skip one on the following Sunday too, as I'll have a week's prayer requests to catch up on, generally about 50 or so a week. Say a wee prayer that we have a safe trip as I'll be driving on the 'wrong side of the road'! This week's reflection has plenty of 'meat' in it to keep you all going for a couple of weeks. Might be worth reading below the Examination of Conscience I came across on a website that I can't remember now, but it's worth meditating upon - it sure makes me step back a bit and think. 

Last week we looked at the role of our Guardian Angels, it being a week packed full Feast Days for various Saints and the Angels. This week I thought it might be good to look at Saints - us! Yep, every single one of us is born to be a saint. Isn't that just the loveliest of thoughts! The only thing is - we kinda get a little bit lost on our journey to sainthood. Today's second reading from Saint Paul's letter to the Hebrew tells us: 

"For the one who sanctifies (Jesus), and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers." (Heb. 2:9-11) 

So what does it mean to be a saint? Well, first of all it means living as Jesus taught and following the Commandments of God. Baptism is our doorway to sainthood. when we become members of the family of God, brothers and sisters of Christ. And as in every group, be it family, work, school, organisations, government etc., there are certain rules to be applied. Without rules or structures there would be chaos. Hence the 10 Commandments - those guidelines that protect us from chaos. 

But Jesus taught us an additional 'commandment' - love. It's love that is that extra ingredient that leads to sainthood. Strange how love features alongside the commandments: 

"So Moses chiselled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." (Ex. 34;4-7) 

And when Moses brought the tablets of stone down from the mountain God spoke to His people proclaiming his commands and included in the second of the commandments He said: 

".....but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Deut. 5:10) 

Some would say that the Old Testament portrays God as a strict disciplinarian yet the books of the Old Testament scream out the Love of God. Jesus is the Love of the Father personified and He 
preached love throughout His whole ministry. He sealed the 10 commandments with the Greatest Commandment of them all: 

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:34-40) 

And if we study the 10 commandments carefully they are wrapped up in love. The first four the love of God, the fifth the love of our parents and the final five the love of neighbour and of self. 

For when we love God we worship, honour and obey Him, we follow all of the teachings of His Son, we give Him our Sundays as His day of the week, we follow the guidelines of the Church given to us by the Son, we honour and obey the Apostolic Successor, the Pope, we don't take His Holy Name in vain, or blaspheme Him or swear false oaths in His name. 

For when we love God we love our parents and the sanctity of marriage, we obey when rightly directed, we don't put them down even when they too have 'lost the way', we accept their wisdom of 
life's experiences, we help at home, we share the burdens of family, we respect the family unit and respect, cherish and love each member of that Holy Unit even when they too may have 'lost the way'. 

For when we love God we love our neighbour and we love ourselves. We do not kill them or any being created by God, either in the womb, or those who are at the end of their lives, or those who are deemed a 'drain on society's medical costs', or those who 'deserve to die' for crimes committed. 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.' And included in this commandment is gossip or character assassination, the killing of a man's good name. 

For when we love our neighbour we do not steal from him - his goods, his time, his money - are we honest with each other, do we pay our taxes, do we give an honest day's work for an honest day's 
pay, do we exploit our workers, do we give our time to our families, do we give our time to our children, do we monitor our children's activities or do we allow others to 'steal their innocence' through TV, music or games? 

For when we love ourselves as our neighbour we do not lust after another when married, or give away our sacred bodies to anyone who comes on the scene, or abuse the gift of family or marriage, or abuse the gift of sexuality through pornography, masturbation, movies, music or magazines, or support the sex industry by buying this rubbish. 

For when we love ourselves as our neighbour we do not envy what others have, or strive to 'keep up with the Joneses' to the detriment of our own family or children, or avoid having children until we have the big house, or the two cars or the five televisions or the latest technology, or more money. 

For when we love God and our neighbour we do not despise others because of their life's circumstances, we respect each and every human being on this earth, we do not set ourselves up as any better or worse than others, we see God in the eyes of every living human being.

And so - it's real tough trying to be a saint eh? But then Christ warned us it would be difficult: 

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) 

Addressing the 30,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope today said the new saints whom he has just canonised remind us that "every Christian is sent on a mission, but to be genuine 
witnesses of Christ it is necessary to seek holiness constantly." 

Look around the world today, it's in a right old mess. Money and Power lead the way - nations are destroyed by power-grabbing dictatorships, by greedy multinationals, by money-controlling, 
power-hungry individuals out to control. Children die to feed the lie of over-population, to satisfy satan's blood-thirsty lust for control, to provide an 'easy solution' to an 'inconvenient problem'. Nations starve because the few own the bulk of the world's resources. There are very few righteous hearts in the world today, sadly. 

Recently Our Lady said the following in a message: 

"The greatest natural resource any country can have is not gold or silver or oil, but is a righteous heart - a heart that seeks God" 

"Hear the word of the LORD , you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land."
(Hosea 4:1) 

And so I leave you with the words of Confucius as we strive towards holiness and saintliness: 

"If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world." 
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You're no accident!
 

"HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD" EPHESIANS 1:4 (NAS) 

You were in God's mind before you were in your mother's womb. Your parents didn't create you - God did. It doesn't matter if you were conceived during an act of date rape, or born to a mother on income support who had children by several different fathers. God created you! He didn't allow you to be aborted, miscarried, stillborn or die in childhood. Those events didn't take you. Why? Because God isn't finished with you yet. Don't forget that! 

Even when you were abused as a child, He never took His hand off you. He brought you through and kept you from losing your mind. He's the One who brought you to an understanding of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. He's the One who raised you up in spite of every attempt of the enemy to destroy you, diminish you, defame you, or discourage you. 

The fact is, if you hadn't gone through everything you've been through, you wouldn't be the person you are today - and God knows that! He has been in the process of creating you, moulding you, refining and perfecting you since the moment He first thought of you. 

He gave you your own personality, your own abilities, your own spiritual gifts and your own identity in Christ. Why? So that you, and you alone, might praise Him the way you do, give the way you do, serve the way you do, and love the way you do. Rejoice; you're His unique creation and He loves you! 

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Examination of Conscience 

For Those Who Are Not Sure What Sin Is 

Do I love God above everything else? Do I live as a child of God, confident in the Father's mercy? 

Am I humble? Am I mindful of my nothingness? Do I depend on God as I should? 

Am I prideful? Do I try to make the world revolve around me? Do I live out a sense of self -sufficiency, imposing my will on others, acting as if I were the cause of good in my life? Does my pride stop me from admitting I was wrong? 

Am I presumptuous? Do I think I can do whatever I want and that it will not matter to God? 

Do I yearn to know God's will and do I abandon myself to divine Providence moment by moment? 

Do I pray everyday? Do I go to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day? 

Do I devote myself to growing in faith? 

Am I thankful? Do I express my gratitude sincerely and outwardly, especially in works of mercy? 

Do I make excuses for my faults, blame others, rationalize, or relativize? Am I self-righteous? 

Am I forgiving? Do I harbour grudges, resentments - do I take delight in the misfortunes of others? 

Do I judge others, label others, exclude others, and condemn others? Is my life in any way ruled by anger, jealousy, envy, or impatience? 

Do I make gods of money, power, prestige, accomplishment, materialism, sensuality, vanity, pleasure, comfort, leisure, complacency, apathy, or anything else? 

Do I put myself first through self-centeredness, egoism, selfishness, vanity, self-aggrandizing, etc. 

Do I engage in extra-marital sex? Do I use sex recreationally? 

How's my driving? 

Do I dedicate myself to knowing, loving, and living the Truth as it is taught by the Catholic Church given to us by Jesus? 

Do I live in the Truth and do I tell the truth, always and without compromise? 

Do I misuse speech through cheating, gossiping, backbiting, profanity, blasphemy, complaining, being silent when I should speak, etc? 

Am I true to my vows, my commitments, my contracts, and my word? Is my mind filled with thoughts that are lustful, viscous, carnal, mean-spirited, prejudicial, venal, worldly, etc? 

Do I waste time? Am I generous with my time? Am I lazy? 

Do the priorities in my life reflect and serve the precious gift of faith God has given me? Do I love more for myself than for God and others? 

Do I live by faith or by emotions, by worldly philosophy, by current fads, by popular ideologies, by the pressures and deceptions of media and culture? 

Do I recognize how God is present and active in every moment of my life? 

Do I live by any standard other than the way of love revealed by Jesus Christ? 

Then, of course, there is guilt by assisting others to sin. 

One can be guilty by helping someone else to sin in any of the following ways: 

1. By advising someone to sin. 
2. By commanding someone to sin. 
3. By provoking someone to sin. 
4. By consenting to someone's sin. 
5. By showing someone how to sin. 
6. By praising someone for his sin. 
7. By concealing, remaining silent about, doing nothing to prevent someone's sin. 
8. By taking part in or enjoying the result of someone's sin. 
9. By defending someone's sin. 

Don't forget that October is the Month of the Rosary and the conclusion, this year, of the Year of the Rosary. It really is the most powerful of prayers and much hated by satan. Spit in his eye and say at least one decade a day, reflecting on the various parts of the life of Christ from birth to death and resurrection.

Also check out the Mothers and Fathers Prayers group started in the UK in 1995 and more recently for Fathers. Now it has extended to over 70 different countries and is growing exponentially. Do try to get a few of you together weekly to pray for your children and grandchildren. They need all the prayers they can get in this crazy world! Drop an email to the address below for information and details. 

May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you and yours and may Mary keep you in Her heavenly mother's care. 

Mary in Galway, Ireland 

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Prayer for Your Family

"O Dear Jesus, I humbly implore You to grant Your special graces to our family this day. In Your Divine Mercy make our home a shrine of peace, love and faith. I beg You, Dear Jesus, to protect and bless all of us and our families absent and present, living and dead. O Mary loving Mother of Jesus and our Mother, pray to Jesus the Divine Mercy for our family, and for all the families of the world. Ask Him to guard the tiny infant in the womb, the cradle of the newborn, the young in the schools and those about to start their vocations in life. Amen"

Prayer for Your Adult Children

"Heavenly Mother, keep us always in mind of Your Son's great mercy and understanding as we pray for our children. They are grown up now and have left us and are living their own lives according to their own ideals. We feel anxious and worried because they do not seem to feel the need for Christ. to understand the wisdom of His ways, or to be fully at ease with us or themselves. Intervene, dearest Mother, in their lives at the moment You know to be right and help them to understand the things that lead to their peace. Help them to see the need of Christ and to experience the greatness of His love, so that we may all proclaim as You did, that His mercy truly is from generation to generation. Amen"

Prayer for the World

"JESUS of NAZARETH has triumphed over Death. His Reign is Eternal. He is coming to conquer the
world and the time.

"Mercy, my God on those who blaspheme You,
Forgive them, they know not what they do.

"Mercy, my God, for the scandal in the world,
Deliver them from the spirit of Satan.

"Mercy, my God, on those who run away from You
Give them an appreciation for the Holy Eucharist.

"Mercy, my God, on those who come to repent at the foot of the Glorious Cross. May they find Peace and Joy in God our Saviour.

"Mercy, my God, so that Your Kingdom may come, but save souls, there is still time; for the time is near, behold, I am coming. Amen

Come, Lord Jesus."

Recite one decade of the Rosary

"Lord, pour out on the whole world the treasures of Your Infinite Mercy."

"Through the Mystery of Your Holy Incarnation,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Your Nativity,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Your Baptism and Holy Fasting,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Your Cross and Passion,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Your Death and Burial,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Your Holy Resurrection,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Your Admirable Ascension,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.

Through Him whose Name reigns eternal,
deliver us from all evil, Lord."

Prayer of Protection

Blessed Michael the Archangel, protect us in the hour of conflict. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God restrain him, we humbly pray, and do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the Power of God, thrust satan down to hell and with him all the wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen

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All of the Reflections to date are available to read in the Archives on the website for anyone who's interested.

The Weekly Intentions are available on a plain page to be able to print off and kept to hand for your own prayer time. The list has become too long now to include each week but please say the
two wee prayers below. The Loving Father knows the heart of each person requesting prayer.

"Father, bless all those who have requested prayers in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! Father, we ask You to heal the broken bodies, broken minds, broken spirits, broken hearts and broken marriages and may all their lives be full of Your peace, prosperity, and power as they seek to have a close relationship with You. Amen."

"Thank You Jesus for answering our prayers because we know You hear every prayer and never refuse to answer. You are providing answers and healings from the prayers of all these wonderful people. Praise God!"

"Breathe in me O Holy Spirit that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me O Holy Spirit that my work, too, may be holy;
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit to defend all that is holy;
Guard me then O Holy Spirit that I always may be holy."

"O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me, tell me what I should do. Give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your will. Amen"

May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless and guide you and yours and may Mary keep you in Her heavenly mother's care.

Mary in Galway